Brooke: (Sighs) You need to give yourself some distance from this tragedy.

Rick: I can't outrun what happened, Mom. Phoebe is dead. I was driving the car
that killed her. That--wherever I go, whatever I do, that's gonna follow me.

Brooke: That's exactly why you need to give Ridge some space. Stay away from him
until he's dealt with his loss.

Rick: What if he can't do that-- deal with his loss? What then? Do I just cut
myself off from my family for the rest of my life?

Stephanie: Good night, and Merry Christmas to you. (Sighs) you know, I have a
standing order at the nursery for one of these trees every year. So it's--

Ridge: We could donate it to the, uh, shelter.

Stephanie: If you want to do that.

Ridge: No, Phoebe would want us to be together for Christmas.

Stephanie: All right. If that's what you want. I'll cook. It'll be just the
family.

Ridge: I think you and Dad together is gonna make it a lot easier.

Stephanie: Sweetheart, Eric and I have always been here for you... (laughs) even
though we were married and not married all those times.

Ridge: Well, now you'll be here for each other. I think our family's always been
the strongest when you and Dad were together.

Donna: (Giggles)

Eric: (Chuckles) Oh, my God. How do you do that? How do you do that?

Donna: (Laughs) Do what?

Eric: (Sighs) You know, I was-- I was more miserable than I've been in my life.
And my life's just full of loss and sadness. Then I come to you, and you just
fill my life with joy. That's what you do for me. That's exactly what I need.
Hey. I'm sorry.

Donna: You thought I betrayed you. And I-I thought you stopped loving me.

Eric: I didn't.

Eric: I tried. But I couldn't.

Rick: So let me get this straight, Mom. Being exiled from my family is a good
thing? I should go off and atone for my sins.

Brooke: Honey, this isn't punishment. This is a chance to figure out what you
did wrong, make sure it never happens again.

Rick: I know what I did wrong, Mom. I was just trying to protect you, and it
was-- it--it went way too far. Way too far. I realize that now.

Brooke: If my relationship with Ridge is too painful for you, you shouldn't be
around it.

Rick: You're right.

Brooke: You had your reasons. (Sighs) you were hurting. Taylor just broke it off
with you. You were concerned about me. You lost your way.

Rick: And now I have to go halfway around the world to find it again. At least I
won't be here...

Rick: A constant reminder to everyone. I won't have to drive down that same road
replaying what happened to Phoebe in my head.

Brooke: Honey.

Rick: It's okay. It's okay. I'll go.

Brooke: Paris was good for you. You have good memories there.

Rick: I don't belong here anymore. Then again, I don't feel like I really belong
anywhere. It doesn't matter where I go. No matter what I do, Phoebe and the
memory of her is just gonna be with me forever.

Donna: You are now cruising 30,000 feet above your ordinary life. (Giggles) We
have stowed all your personal problems and your concerns in the overhead bins
for the duration of the flight. Should they become dislodged midflight, your
sexy flight attendant will put 'em right back where they belong.

Eric: Oh, my goodness.

Donna: No. Please, remain seated, sir, for we may expect some unexpected bumps
and shimmies.

Brooke: Honey, you told me you didn't want to leave, and I should have listened.
I'm sorry. Look, I'll talk to your father. I'll talk to Ridge. We'll work
something out.

Brooke: I love you so much.

Rick: I love you, too.

Brooke: (Laughs) Nobody should be alone on the holidays. Christmas is a time for
giving and forgiving. Ridge will come around.

(Door opens)

Thorne: Hey, Mom. What are you doing?

Stephanie: (Chuckles) What does it look like? You want to give me a hand?

Thorne: Decorations?

Stephanie: Yeah. Um, Ridge thought it would probably be a good idea if we
decided to go ahead and celebrate Christmas. You know, if you'd like to...

Eric: You have the decency not to drag your mother into this.

Stephanie: And I could get on the phone...

Eric: I'll talk to her myself.

Stephanie: And I could call the piano tuner and the caterers and-- Thorne? You
okay? Is something wrong?

Eric: Mm. Mm. (Sighs) I think it's time for us to, uh, come down to earth again.

Donna: No.

Eric: I know.

Donna: Not yet. Please?

Eric: We can't keep our heads up in the clouds forever, you know.

Donna: (Sighs) You're worried about your family.

Donna: I'm not sure how they're gonna take another loss.

Donna: That's how they see this, huh?

Eric: Mm-hmm. I made--I made Thorne promise not to say anything to Stephanie,
but I'm gonna have to. I want to tell her. I want to tell her about us.

Donna: Right before Christmas?

Eric: Yeah.

Donna: Eric, I-- I think it's really important that you-- you're there for them.
Look, as much as I want to spend Christmas with you, I do, you just-- you just
had a death in your family. And they need to-- you to be there, and you--you
need to be there. Oh, Eric, you're mourning the loss of your granddaughter. And
it's-- it's my first Christmas with my son. I have a lot to be grateful for.
Besides, we have the rest of our lives to spend every Christmas together.

Ridge: Are we alone?

Brooke: Yes.

Brooke: Did you see your mother?

Ridge: The Christmas tree was delivered. I told her to leave it up. We should
spend Christmas together.

Brooke: Well, holidays can be lonely without family.

Ridge: You talk to Rick?

Brooke: I did.

Ridge: Did he understand?

Brooke: He understands why you can't have him around. He agreed to go. He
doesn't want to be a constant reminder.

Ridge: (Sighs) Oh, thank you.

Brooke: He hates himself, Ridge. Phoebe's death has made him question the kind
of man that he is.

Ridge: Well, if he didn't, he wouldn't be any kind of man at all.

Brooke: He seems depressed.

Ridge: A change of scenery will do him good.

Brooke: That's what I told him.

Ridge: Thank you, Logan. I knew you'd get through to him.

Brooke: I don't want him to go.

Ridge: I know. I'm sorry. But every time I see Rick, I see my daughter's body
lying in that ditch, and I just can't live that way.

Brooke: I understand that, Ridge, but sending Rick away isn't going to help with
your grief.

Ridge: Seeing him makes it harder.

Brooke: And it's hard on him, too. Harder than you could ever imagine. He really
shouldn't be alone right now. Exiling him to another country? That's crazy.

Thorne: Mother, it's just-- I don't want you to get your hopes up, 'cause I--you
know you and your Christmas miracles-- everybody coming together. You have this
idea in your head how it's going to be, you know? Dad's eggnog, caroling around
the piano.

Stephanie: Well, sweetheart, I think Ridge is right. We have to try, for his
sake, for Taylor, for Tom, for Steffy. I think we really do at least have to
try.

Thorne: What if it's a disaster? It's only going to make things worse.

Stephanie: No, no, no. Your--your father and I won't let that happen. Look,
we're back together. The family is stronger and--and tighter than ever. He and I
are not going to let anything bad happen. It'll be wonderful.

Eric: Here.

Donna: Thank you.

Eric: Thank you. Thank you for understanding.

Donna: Well, I know what it's like to lose somebody that you love and try to
hold your family together in the wake of tragedy.

Eric: Yeah. Stephanie and I have pledged that we would help the family get
through this together. We would help Ridge and Taylor and the children.

Donna: And you will.

Eric: But not as a couple. I mean, I went back to Stephanie based on a lie, but
now that I know the truth, she needs to know the truth, too. I want to spend the
rest of my life with you, Donna, now and forever.

Donna: Yeah?

Eric: Yeah. Yeah?

Donna: Okay. (Laughs)

Eric: Okay. Okay.

Brooke: You look at him, Ridge, and you see a man who you think is responsible
for your daughter's death. I look at him, and I see my son, who's been through a
tragedy. He's very fragile right now. He needs to be around family. We can't
just send him off to Paris. Something terrible could happen.

Ridge: Something terrible has already happened, Logan.

Brooke: Please. (Sighs) Just hear me out. I agreed to speak with Rick because I
thought it would be a good idea for him to go to Paris so it would give you some
time and space to heal. But now I'm not so sure it's a good idea. The memory of
the accident and his guilt, it's just eating him up alive. I love you, Ridge.
And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I don't know how I can
just ignore my son's pain.

Ridge: Logan, wh--what are you saying here?

Brooke: Look, you don't have to see him, okay? He won't ever come by here. He's
not gonna come to your work. But we just can't send him off to Paris. (Sighs)
you know, this is really killing me. You can't live with him, and I can't live
without him. I'm his mother. I feel like I need to be there for him, and I can't
if he's all the way in Paris. (Sighs) please, Ridge. God, tell me that you
understand.

Ridge: I can't.

Brooke: Okay. (Sighs) maybe because it's too early. It's too soon. Your-- your
wounds are still too raw. But Ridge, you have a big heart. I know you do. And
you're the one who always tells me that our love will prevail, that we can get
through anything, and I believe that. I really do. You have to tell me that you
believe it, too. Please, Ridge. Promise me. Promise me that no matter what we
will survive this. Promise.

We don't read the guestbook very often, so please don't
post QUESTIONS, only COMMENTS, if you want an answer. Feel free to email us
with your questions by clicking on the Feedback link above! PLEASE SIGN-->